Selenomethionine Attenuates Aflatoxin B1-induced Liver Injury by Modulating the Gut Microbiota and Metabolites in Rabbits

Abstract

Dietary contamination with aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁), which can lead to severe liver damage, poses a great threat to livestock and poultry breeding and has detrimental impacts on food safety. Selenomethionine (SeMet), with anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and detoxifying effects, is regarded as a beneficial food additive. However, whether SeMet can reduce AFB₁-induced liver injury and intestinal microbial disorders in rabbits remains to be revealed. Forty 35-day-old rabbits were randomly divided into a control group, an AFB₁ group, and 0.2 mg/kg Se and 0.4 mg/kg Se groups. The SeMet treatment group was fed different doses of the SeMet diet every day for 21 days. On Days 17–21, the AFB₁ group, 0.2 mg/kg Se, and 0.4 mg/kg Se groups were intragastrically administered 0.3 mg AFB₁/kg b.w. Results showed that SeMet restored alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels, alleviating AFB₁-induced liver function damage. This was linked to changes in intestinal metabolites and activation of the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2/heme oxygenase-1 (Nrf2/HO-1) pathway. In this study, the relationships between intestinal microorganisms and their metabolites and AFB₁-induced liver injury are investigated, and the potential protective role of SeMet against liver damage induced by AFB₁ offers novel insights into strategies for the prevention and treatment of AFB₁-related toxicity.